Little David

Jackson's Sunday School lesson was about helping your family.  I love how LifeWay writes their lessons for toddlers...so down to Earth, on their level.  Here is his lesson from this past Sunday.  (1 Samuel 16:11-12, 17:12-22)

"David had seven brothers.  Some of David's brothers worked for the king.  David stayed at home to help his family.  David took care of his family's sheep.  One day David's daddy said: 'David, get some bread. Take it to your brothers who are away working for the king.  Take some cheese, too. Find out how your brothers are doing.'  The next morning David left on his trip.  He hurried to find his brothers and give him the food.  David loved his family and he was glad he could show his love by helping."

Now.  Raise your hand if something is missing.  Yep!  You know, the part where David goes to his brothers, finds them unable to defeat Goliath and are all scared.  David steps up, gets his trusty sling shot and five stones and lets loose on ol' Goliath.  He falls dead.  David is a shepherd boy hero and finds himself as the King many years later.  Wa-la!  Success story!

But, are you like me and missed where it all began?  I did.  David's "daddy" asked him to take food to his brothers and find out how they were doing.  So David went.  Hmmm...the simple servant act.  Dad asked, so I went.  David had no idea he was setting out to discover his destiny or setting the ball in motion for bigger and better things.  He just went because he loved his father and brothers.   Dad didn't know either, he just asked his son to do an act of love.

How often do we do things for our family or our friends OR complete strangers just because they asked or just because we love them?  Hoping for no other reward or future gain?  Looking no further than fulfilling a need?  Sometimes, life really is that simple.  "Here am I, send me!"  Isaiah 6:8

The Nut Doesn't Fall Far

Meeting the parents of kids you interact with everyday answers a lot of questions and confirms a lot of suspicions.  If you've ever wondered if you make an impact on your children, you do.

Take a look in the mirror, mom and dad.  They are you...just littler versions.  Your decisions impact their little lives.  Who you are determines, in a way, who they will be.

Ahhhh!  That's stressful! This is slightly terrifying, but it's life-altering.  Are you joyful or depressed?  Are you full of grace or full of condemnation?  Are you confident or self-conscious?  Are you their cheerleader or their persecutor?  All of these things impact who they are at home, in the classroom and who they will be in 15 plus years.  

Me?  I want to be the joyful, forgiving, confident cheerleader my kids are going to need in this little thing called "life".  Who else is going to be in the corner as much as mom or dad? 

Now the hard part.  "What about when I'm not these things?"  I want them to see that side too.  But I also want them to hear the "I'm sorry"s, and "I'll try better next time"s.  Sometimes, failure is imminent.  This is the grace card.  And this is also life.

No kids?  Not a problem.  Who said they had to be your own?  I have two biological babies and 26 adopted-for-9 months babies (who I carry in my heart for much longer).   There are PLENTY of kiddos in my room I'd love to be a light to, so I'm thankful I have a few more months with them.  Hopefully one day they will remember the joy, grace, and confidence of someone they once knew, whether they remember my name or not.

"Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  To these I commit my day.  If I succeed, I will give thanks.  If I fail, I will seek His grace.  And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest."  ~Max Lucado "When God Whispers Your Name"

What kind of tree are you?  What kind of nuts do you produce?  Just some food for thought...

Trying to Listen

I hear it.  I've been deaf to it for too long.  My head, heart and spirit are screaming for nourishment.  I need to be fed.  I need spiritual food. 

Too many excuses and too much time has passed.

Self help books are great.  Bible study books are great.  But I am being drawn more to the Word.  The breath of my Savior written in on paper...sometimes with red ink.  I'm ready. 

However, I covet your prayers.  I want to be consumed by It.  I don't want to just wet my toes in the shallow water. I want to do a cannonball, right in the middle of it where I will want to stay and splash around for awhile.

Do you hear it?  Dare to come along?

Praises
* A pastor and a hubby who draws me into the Word

I Wanna Be a Cow

We live in a rural, cow-raising community.  I drive 25 miles through pasture laiden highway twice a day. Today as I was coming home I noticed some calves (baby cows for you city-folk!) trotting right along in line with the big'uns.  It got me thinking.

For those of you who know even LESS than I do about cattle, let me "inform" you.  (insert chuckle)  When calves are born they stay right with mama so they get to know her scent, her call, even her hide.  They depend, as most young do, on her for food and protection.  As they begin to grow, they venture a little at a time into the big world.  Mom is never far away, once again for food and protection.  The older they get, the braver and more dependent they become until, eventually, they are eating their own food and butting heads with the other young ones.  Soon they begin following mom to the food down a narrow "cow path".  Every morning and every night they venture down that same tiny trail.  Mom leads them to the source of food.  She never lets them down, so they follow.
The calves that got me thinking were two little guys walking that cow path, bouncing along, one right after the other, in between a whole line of Holsteins.  I couldn't tell who mom was (I bet they still could!) but they were confident that the narrow path led to food.  So they traveled.

I want to be a cow.  The good kind.  The kind who teaches her calves where to find food by faithfully leading them to the Source.  Every morning and every night (maybe even snack time!) showing them where to find the Good Food.  Our kids are hungry and thirsty for comfort and power that only He can give.  If we show them the way as children down that long, narrow path...one day they will be able to walk the path alone, with confidence, and hopefully with fellow friends.

Be a cow!  They've got it all under control. :)

Everyday

Everyday I see a sign above our sink that says "Christ is the center of our home, a guest at every meal and a listener of every conversation".  Everyday this message grips me.

"Christ is the center of our home"-Everything must revolve around this concept.  Every decision, every hope and every moment revolves around Him.  Are we there?  Hardly.  Do we want to be?  Definitely.

"A guest at every meal"-Have I done what I can to feed my family from our pantry?  Did I use His money wisely while I shopped for those morsels?  Is the atmosphere around our table one that welcomes not only guests but each member of our family?  My biggest "fetish", if you call it that, is not shoes, clothes, makeup, purses or home furnishings...it is food.  I have NEVER gone without food so why I feel the need to hoard it is beyond me!  I have talked to Jeremy about this and he is my biggest witness to this problem. :)    Maybe I have a deep down desire to be the next Food Network Star or maybe I just have a desire to create great meals!  Sadly, these items sit in my pantry way past the expiration date.  Whatever it is, I am working on making my home, my wallet and my table a place I can welcome Him.

"A listener of every conversation"-Yikes.  Need I say more?  This one has impacted me the most.  Am I proud of every conversation I have had with my husband who is only human?  Am I proud of every conversation I have had with my wee ones who are still learning right from wrong?  Am I proud of every conversation I have had with myself when I cringe at the image in the mirror or when I beat myself up over a, once again, messy house?  Yeah right.  And those are just in my home!  Can you imagine in the work place?  In the car?  In the store?  At the doctor's office?  Ughhh...

Once again, I will strive to make this sign my motto and look forward to the day when I am in the center of HIS home, a guest at HIS table and a listener to HIS conversation.  What a day that will be.

Singing His Praises
#11  Grace, yep, that's a biggee.